172 Enchanted Forest Part 1
After nightfall, Tang Yanqiu went to Qiao Shan's residence.
Now, Xu Hang completely behaves like a prince of the capital. Xu Ying chose four mistresses for him from his subordinates' daughters, and they don't live together. The one who gets pregnant first will officially marry into the Xu family. Therefore, there were no formidable mutant guards at Qiao Shan's residence. Tang Yanqiu easily sneaked into her bedroom, and drugged her before bringing her back to the Science Academy during the night.
At the Science Academy, Zhuang Yao woke her up.
Qiao Shan opened her eyes groggily, not knowing where she was. She was startled to see several men suddenly appearing in front of her, and her face turned pale. But this woman was indeed not just a wallflower; she quickly regained her composure from the shock. Without screaming or making any unnecessary movements, she simply looked at them warily and asked, "What is going on?"
Liu Fengyu smiled gently, "Miss Qiao, hello."
Qiao Shan coldly said, "Mr. Liu, I don't understand what this means? I remember I should be sleeping at home."
"We invited you here to discuss a few things with you."
Qiao Shan hugged her arms and calmly said, "Go ahead."
Liu Fengyu said straightforwardly, "I'll be direct. Qiao Shan, do you really want to have a child with Xu Hang?"
Liu Fengyu had a great charm towards women, especially when he put on a gentle and gentlemanly attitude. It could make people relax their guard. Qiao Shan, though mentally strong, was still a woman after all. Her expression softened a little, but she didn't completely let her guard down. She looked at Liu Fengyu and smiled, "Isn't this my private matter? Why are you interested in such things?"
"In my eyes, you are a smart and assertive woman. I don't think you really like Xu Hang. A woman like you, can you truly bear to have your worth defined by bearing children?"
Qiao Shan's eyebrows furrowed slightly, "Mr. Liu, just speak your mind. I don't want you to analyze my life."
"Alright, we hope you can do us a favor, and in exchange, we will help you fulfill a wish."
Qiao Shan sneered, "Do you even know what I want? What if you can't give it to me?"
Zhuang Yao said, "So you need to speak up first. If we can't fulfill your wish, then no one can help you. Are you really willing to miss this one and only opportunity?"
Qiao Shan looked at him and then at Cheng Tianbi and others. She knew Zhuang Yao was right. She was facing one of the most powerful mutant groups in Beijing, and even Cheng Tianbi, the wood natural force ability user. If they couldn't help her, then no one could.
Liu Fengyu gently patted her shoulder and said, "Qiao Shan, I promise that the task we need your help with won't put you or your father in danger. You only need to do a simple thing to regain your freedom."
Qiao Shan lowered her head, pondered for a moment, and then slowly lifted her face. She gritted her teeth and said, "Can you turn me into a mutant? Or just make them believe I've become one? I don't want to have a child for anyone. I belong to myself."
Cheng Tianbi and Zhuang Yao exchanged glances. Cheng Tianbi said, "Yes, I can give you the abilities of a power-type mutant and fake your energy fluctuations for several hours, but you'll have to maintain the disguise on your own after that."
"A few hours will be enough. Tell me, what do you want me to do? I will weigh the risks, and if it's too dangerous, I won't do it."
Cheng Tianbi said, "Three days from now, it's Xu Hang's birthday banquet. I hope you can help me enter the Commander's Mansion."
Qiao Shan was taken aback, "Are you kidding? The Commander's Mansion is the most heavily guarded place in all of Beijing. How could I possibly sneak you, a living person, in there, especially when everyone knows you?"
Zhuang Yao said, "Of course, we know the Commander's Mansion is heavily guarded; otherwise, we wouldn't need your help. You don't have to bring in the whole person; half of him will be enough."
"What do you mean?"
"Do you know elementalization?"
Qiao Shan looked at Cheng Tianbi, "Yes, I know. I've even written reports about it."
"My body can achieve 50% elementalization. Your car can enter the Commander's Mansion, and I can hide in the car, disguised as something else. No one will notice."
Qiao Shan looked at him skeptically.
To make her believe, Cheng Tianbi immediately half-converted his body, then returned to normal in front of Qiao Shan's shocked eyes.
After a moment of silence, Qiao Shan said, "What do you plan to do once you're inside the Commander's Mansion?"
"I don't need you to worry about what happens after that. You just need to get me in."
Qiao Shan pondered for a moment, then gritted her teeth, "Okay, but whatever happens inside, it has nothing to do with me."
"Don't worry."
"Tang Yanqiu, take her back. After the task is completed, we will come to you again and help you 'become' a mutant."
Qiao Shan lowered her eyes, and sweat appeared on her forehead. She nodded slightly.
After Tang Yanqiu took her away, Cong Xia said, "Can we trust her?"
Zhuang Yao replied, "Because our conversation contained too many information nodes, it's impossible to determine one by one if she's lying. But one thing is certain—she does indeed want to get rid of Xu Hang. Based on the overall emotional information extracted from her, she is probably reliable. Even if she betrays us at the last moment, we have other plans and need not worry."
"Did the people sent to monitor the arsenal give any feedback?"
"An hour ago, they reported that there were no signs of movement. Xu Ying proposed to open the arsenal only after successfully suppressing the breeding of these mutant cockroaches. Commander Cao is currently negotiating with him, trying to delay the process. Zhou Fenglan has already acted; Zhuang Yu observed his condition, and he seems to be doing well. Zhuang Yu intends to breakthrough to the Second Stage at this time and then release the cockroaches carrying the virus. If we can overlap the timing of his Second Stage breakthrough with Xu Hang's birthday banquet, it will be very advantageous for us."
Cong Xia said, "But won't that raise suspicions from Zhuang Yu?"
Zhuang Yao smiled, "I've considered many ways in which Zhuang Yu might prevent us from rescuing Professor Cong, such as increasing the guards or temporarily relocating him. But when I was contemplating the sixth possibility, I finally became certain of one thing: Zhuang Yu never intended to open the Tian Tai Mountain arsenal."
"What? Why?"
Zhuang Yao explained, "The method of keeping Professor Cong as a hostage doesn't seem like something Zhuang Yu would come up with. If he wanted Commander Cao to abide by the agreement, there are much more severe measures he could take. Can keeping Professor Cong in soft detention really threaten Commander Cao? For such an important matter, if Zhuang Yu was determined to succeed, he would ensure there were no flaws. But now there seem to be quite a few loopholes in the entire plan. And Zhuang Yu is unlikely to overlook such possibilities; he's too smart for that. There's only one possibility: Zhuang Yu doesn't actually want to open the Tian Tai Mountain arsenal, at least not now."
Cong Xia asked, "Why not? Wasn't it his suggestion to open the arsenal?"
"Not necessarily. As the commander of a military group, Xu Ying must be anxious to see his arsenal dwindling. Zhuang Yu set up the cockroach trap, and his main goal was not the weapons, but his and Zhou Fenglan's breakthrough to the Second Stage. With Zhuang Yu's greed, he wouldn't be satisfied with just half the arsenal; he would want the whole thing. If I were him, I wouldn't share it with others either. But by opening it now, they can only take half, and the other half will fall into Commander Cao's hands, which will have little to do with them. Xu Ying is a stubborn person, and Zhuang Yuprobably couldn't persuade him. Or maybe Zhuang Yu had already figured out Xu Ying's character and knew that trying to persuade him would be futile. Instead, he used other means to ensure Xu Ying couldn't obtain the weapons. By detaining Professor Cong, it serves as insurance for Zhuang Yu's Second Stage breakthrough, killing two birds with one stone."
"So, our operation is basically approved by Zhuang Yu? It should go smoothly then," Cong Xia felt relieved, thinking that his second uncle wouldn't be in too much danger.
"As long as Zhuang Yu doesn't obstruct us, it can be considered smooth. So, don't worry that he will become suspicious due to our timing. He will break through to the Second Stage here according to the schedule we proposed."
"That's good. Let's set it for tomorrow night then. By the time he breaks through to the Second Stage, we should have already dealt with Xu Ying's side."
"If we can get Xu Ying out the day after tomorrow, Cong Xia, I want you to examine his brain."
"Examine his brain?"
Zhuang Yao nodded, "I suspect that Xu Ying is, to some extent, being manipulated by Zhuang Yu. Although he still has his own thoughts, he is easily influenced by Zhuang Yu, unconsciously molded by him. Cerebral domain evolved people can achieve this by staying with someone for a long time and repeatedly giving them subconscious suggestions and stimuli. When I met Xu Ying last time, I couldn't examine him, which was a pity. But this time, I'll be staying here to direct the operation, and you will go to the arsenal to lock onto Professor Cong's location. So, you will have a chance to interact with Xu Ying."
"Alright, although I'm not sure how to do it, I'll give it a try."
They discussed the details of their plan again in great detail. After Tang Yanqiu returned, Zhuang Yao asked everyone to rest.
Liu Fengyu stood up and stretched lazily, glancing at Tang Yanqiu with a teasing smile at the corner of his mouth.
Tang Yanqiu noticed his gaze and unconsciously turned his head away, walking towards the elevator.
Liu Fengyu followed, "Tang Hero, hey."
Tang Yanqiu increased his pace, reached the elevator, and impatiently pressed the buttons, then stared fixedly at the numbers.
Liu Fengyu walked over leisurely, his long arms hooked around Tang Yanqiu's neck, and he teased, "Why are you in such a hurry? The elevator doesn't come instantly. How about we exercise and take the stairs?"
Tang Yanqiu stiffly replied, "I exercise every day. There's no need."
Cong Xia and the others followed from behind, and he sighed, whispering, "Liu Ge is teasing Xiao Tang again."
Cheng Tianbi's expression was a bit strange, "Don't mind them."
As they headed back to their rooms, Liu Fengyu was still playfully pulling Tang Yanqiu along. Apparently, Zhuang Yao's remark about being 'jealous' had greatly stimulated the two. Cong Xia couldn't quite understand their current situation. In his eyes, the relationship between Liu Fengyu and Tang Yanqiu had always been a bit off, with frequent squabbles but also mutual support. Liu Fengyu loved teasing people and making over-the-top jokes, while Tang Yanqiu was more stable and often put up with it. The noisy and playful atmosphere between them had always been fine, but now, he felt a somewhat ambiguous atmosphere between them.
Cong Xia couldn't help but wonder what was going on between Liu Fengyu and Tang Yanqiu. He knew that Liu Fengyu was bisexual, so he couldn't help but think that Liu Fengyu might have taken an interest in Tang Yanqiu. The thought was a bit frightening. Just as he was about to steal another glance at them, he was pulled into the room by Cheng Tianbi.
The next night, as promised, Zhuang Yu appeared. Zhou Fenglan was still recovering, so he didn't come with him. Surprisingly, Zhuang Yu didn't have any decent bodyguards around him, indicating that he wasn't concerned about his personal safety.
Before entering the laboratory, Zhuang Yu smiled at Cong Xia and said, "My life is in your hands now. Of course, your second uncle's life is still in my hands, so let's both be honest, shall we?"
172 Enchanted Forest Part 1
After nightfall, Tang Yanqiu went to Qiao Shan's residence.
Now, Xu Hang completely behaves like a prince of the capital. Xu Ying chose four mistresses for him from his subordinates' daughters, and they don't live together. The one who gets pregnant first will officially marry into the Xu family. Therefore, there were no formidable mutant guards at Qiao Shan's residence. Tang Yanqiu easily sneaked into her bedroom, and drugged her before bringing her back to the Science Academy during the night.
At the Science Academy, Zhuang Yao woke her up.
Qiao Shan opened her eyes groggily, not knowing where she was. She was startled to see several men suddenly appearing in front of her, and her face turned pale. But this woman was indeed not just a wallflower; she quickly regained her composure from the shock. Without screaming or making any unnecessary movements, she simply looked at them warily and asked, "What is going on?"
Liu Fengyu smiled gently, "Miss Qiao, hello."
Qiao Shan coldly said, "Mr. Liu, I don't understand what this means? I remember I should be sleeping at home."
"We invited you here to discuss a few things with you."
Qiao Shan hugged her arms and calmly said, "Go ahead."
Liu Fengyu said straightforwardly, "I'll be direct. Qiao Shan, do you really want to have a child with Xu Hang?"
Liu Fengyu had a great charm towards women, especially when he put on a gentle and gentlemanly attitude. It could make people relax their guard. Qiao Shan, though mentally strong, was still a woman after all. Her expression softened a little, but she didn't completely let her guard down. She looked at Liu Fengyu and smiled, "Isn't this my private matter? Why are you interested in such things?"
"In my eyes, you are a smart and assertive woman. I don't think you really like Xu Hang. A woman like you, can you truly bear to have your worth defined by bearing children?"
Qiao Shan's eyebrows furrowed slightly, "Mr. Liu, just speak your mind. I don't want you to analyze my life."
"Alright, we hope you can do us a favor, and in exchange, we will help you fulfill a wish."
Qiao Shan sneered, "Do you even know what I want? What if you can't give it to me?"
Zhuang Yao said, "So you need to speak up first. If we can't fulfill your wish, then no one can help you. Are you really willing to miss this one and only opportunity?"
Qiao Shan looked at him and then at Cheng Tianbi and others. She knew Zhuang Yao was right. She was facing one of the most powerful mutant groups in Beijing, and even Cheng Tianbi, the wood natural force ability user. If they couldn't help her, then no one could.
Liu Fengyu gently patted her shoulder and said, "Qiao Shan, I promise that the task we need your help with won't put you or your father in danger. You only need to do a simple thing to regain your freedom."
Qiao Shan lowered her head, pondered for a moment, and then slowly lifted her face. She gritted her teeth and said, "Can you turn me into a mutant? Or just make them believe I've become one? I don't want to have a child for anyone. I belong to myself."
Cheng Tianbi and Zhuang Yao exchanged glances. Cheng Tianbi said, "Yes, I can give you the abilities of a power-type mutant and fake your energy fluctuations for several hours, but you'll have to maintain the disguise on your own after that."
"A few hours will be enough. Tell me, what do you want me to do? I will weigh the risks, and if it's too dangerous, I won't do it."
Cheng Tianbi said, "Three days from now, it's Xu Hang's birthday banquet. I hope you can help me enter the Commander's Mansion."
Qiao Shan was taken aback, "Are you kidding? The Commander's Mansion is the most heavily guarded place in all of Beijing. How could I possibly sneak you, a living person, in there, especially when everyone knows you?"
Zhuang Yao said, "Of course, we know the Commander's Mansion is heavily guarded; otherwise, we wouldn't need your help. You don't have to bring in the whole person; half of him will be enough."
"What do you mean?"
"Do you know elementalization?"
Qiao Shan looked at Cheng Tianbi, "Yes, I know. I've even written reports about it."
"My body can achieve 50% elementalization. Your car can enter the Commander's Mansion, and I can hide in the car, disguised as something else. No one will notice."
Qiao Shan looked at him skeptically.
To make her believe, Cheng Tianbi immediately half-converted his body, then returned to normal in front of Qiao Shan's shocked eyes.
After a moment of silence, Qiao Shan said, "What do you plan to do once you're inside the Commander's Mansion?"
"I don't need you to worry about what happens after that. You just need to get me in."
Qiao Shan pondered for a moment, then gritted her teeth, "Okay, but whatever happens inside, it has nothing to do with me."
"Don't worry."
"Tang Yanqiu, take her back. After the task is completed, we will come to you again and help you 'become' a mutant."
Qiao Shan lowered her eyes, and sweat appeared on her forehead. She nodded slightly.
After Tang Yanqiu took her away, Cong Xia said, "Can we trust her?"
Zhuang Yao replied, "Because our conversation contained too many information nodes, it's impossible to determine one by one if she's lying. But one thing is certain—she does indeed want to get rid of Xu Hang. Based on the overall emotional information extracted from her, she is probably reliable. Even if she betrays us at the last moment, we have other plans and need not worry."
"Did the people sent to monitor the arsenal give any feedback?"
"An hour ago, they reported that there were no signs of movement. Xu Ying proposed to open the arsenal only after successfully suppressing the breeding of these mutant cockroaches. Commander Cao is currently negotiating with him, trying to delay the process. Zhou Fenglan has already acted; Zhuang Yu observed his condition, and he seems to be doing well. Zhuang Yu intends to breakthrough to the Second Stage at this time and then release the cockroaches carrying the virus. If we can overlap the timing of his Second Stage breakthrough with Xu Hang's birthday banquet, it will be very advantageous for us."
Cong Xia said, "But won't that raise suspicions from Zhuang Yu?"
Zhuang Yao smiled, "I've considered many ways in which Zhuang Yu might prevent us from rescuing Professor Cong, such as increasing the guards or temporarily relocating him. But when I was contemplating the sixth possibility, I finally became certain of one thing: Zhuang Yu never intended to open the Tian Tai Mountain arsenal."
"What? Why?"
Zhuang Yao explained, "The method of keeping Professor Cong as a hostage doesn't seem like something Zhuang Yu would come up with. If he wanted Commander Cao to abide by the agreement, there are much more severe measures he could take. Can keeping Professor Cong in soft detention really threaten Commander Cao? For such an important matter, if Zhuang Yu was determined to succeed, he would ensure there were no flaws. But now there seem to be quite a few loopholes in the entire plan. And Zhuang Yu is unlikely to overlook such possibilities; he's too smart for that. There's only one possibility: Zhuang Yu doesn't actually want to open the Tian Tai Mountain arsenal, at least not now."
Cong Xia asked, "Why not? Wasn't it his suggestion to open the arsenal?"
"Not necessarily. As the commander of a military group, Xu Ying must be anxious to see his arsenal dwindling. Zhuang Yu set up the cockroach trap, and his main goal was not the weapons, but his and Zhou Fenglan's breakthrough to the Second Stage. With Zhuang Yu's greed, he wouldn't be satisfied with just half the arsenal; he would want the whole thing. If I were him, I wouldn't share it with others either. But by opening it now, they can only take half, and the other half will fall into Commander Cao's hands, which will have little to do with them. Xu Ying is a stubborn person, and Zhuang Yuprobably couldn't persuade him. Or maybe Zhuang Yu had already figured out Xu Ying's character and knew that trying to persuade him would be futile. Instead, he used other means to ensure Xu Ying couldn't obtain the weapons. By detaining Professor Cong, it serves as insurance for Zhuang Yu's Second Stage breakthrough, killing two birds with one stone."
"So, our operation is basically approved by Zhuang Yu? It should go smoothly then," Cong Xia felt relieved, thinking that his second uncle wouldn't be in too much danger.
"As long as Zhuang Yu doesn't obstruct us, it can be considered smooth. So, don't worry that he will become suspicious due to our timing. He will break through to the Second Stage here according to the schedule we proposed."
"That's good. Let's set it for tomorrow night then. By the time he breaks through to the Second Stage, we should have already dealt with Xu Ying's side."
"If we can get Xu Ying out the day after tomorrow, Cong Xia, I want you to examine his brain."
"Examine his brain?"
Zhuang Yao nodded, "I suspect that Xu Ying is, to some extent, being manipulated by Zhuang Yu. Although he still has his own thoughts, he is easily influenced by Zhuang Yu, unconsciously molded by him. Cerebral domain evolved people can achieve this by staying with someone for a long time and repeatedly giving them subconscious suggestions and stimuli. When I met Xu Ying last time, I couldn't examine him, which was a pity. But this time, I'll be staying here to direct the operation, and you will go to the arsenal to lock onto Professor Cong's location. So, you will have a chance to interact with Xu Ying."
"Alright, although I'm not sure how to do it, I'll give it a try."
They discussed the details of their plan again in great detail. After Tang Yanqiu returned, Zhuang Yao asked everyone to rest.
Liu Fengyu stood up and stretched lazily, glancing at Tang Yanqiu with a teasing smile at the corner of his mouth.
Tang Yanqiu noticed his gaze and unconsciously turned his head away, walking towards the elevator.
Liu Fengyu followed, "Tang Hero, hey."
Tang Yanqiu increased his pace, reached the elevator, and impatiently pressed the buttons, then stared fixedly at the numbers.
Liu Fengyu walked over leisurely, his long arms hooked around Tang Yanqiu's neck, and he teased, "Why are you in such a hurry? The elevator doesn't come instantly. How about we exercise and take the stairs?"
Tang Yanqiu stiffly replied, "I exercise every day. There's no need."
Cong Xia and the others followed from behind, and he sighed, whispering, "Liu Ge is teasing Xiao Tang again."
Cheng Tianbi's expression was a bit strange, "Don't mind them."
As they headed back to their rooms, Liu Fengyu was still playfully pulling Tang Yanqiu along. Apparently, Zhuang Yao's remark about being 'jealous' had greatly stimulated the two. Cong Xia couldn't quite understand their current situation. In his eyes, the relationship between Liu Fengyu and Tang Yanqiu had always been a bit off, with frequent squabbles but also mutual support. Liu Fengyu loved teasing people and making over-the-top jokes, while Tang Yanqiu was more stable and often put up with it. The noisy and playful atmosphere between them had always been fine, but now, he felt a somewhat ambiguous atmosphere between them.
Cong Xia couldn't help but wonder what was going on between Liu Fengyu and Tang Yanqiu. He knew that Liu Fengyu was bisexual, so he couldn't help but think that Liu Fengyu might have taken an interest in Tang Yanqiu. The thought was a bit frightening. Just as he was about to steal another glance at them, he was pulled into the room by Cheng Tianbi.
The next night, as promised, Zhuang Yu appeared. Zhou Fenglan was still recovering, so he didn't come with him. Surprisingly, Zhuang Yu didn't have any decent bodyguards around him, indicating that he wasn't concerned about his personal safety.
Before entering the laboratory, Zhuang Yu smiled at Cong Xia and said, "My life is in your hands now. Of course, your second uncle's life is still in my hands, so let's both be honest, shall we?"
